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(No Model.) A

G. W. MQGILL. FASTENING FOR TRAVELING BAGS, SATG HELS, &c. No. 351,644. v

Patented Oct. 26, 1886.

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, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC GEORGE w. MGGILL, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

FASTENING FOR TRAVELING-BAGS, SATCHELS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,644, dated Gotcha: 26, 1886.

Application filed July 1, 1886. Serial No. 206,851. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may conczrn:

Be it known that l, GEORGE W. MoGILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fastenings for Traveling-Bags, Satchels, Pocket-Books, &c., of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of bag, satchel, or pocket-book fastenings in which the bowed frames are hinged together at their ends, and each carries a shank having a single attached sphere or ball, which pass by each other and engage when the two bowed frames are swung together. Snchfastenings are objectionable in that the constant lateral press are on the hinges or pivots of the bowed frames,

caused by the balls or spheres pressing past each other, loosens the hinges or pivots. When this lateral pressure ceases, the fastening capacity of the two balls is destroyed, and the pocket-book or,bag is practically useless. In another instance a glove or shoefastening has been composed of two balls in contact and carried by shanks or necks on the end of one flat plate and a single ball carried by a shank or neck-0d another flat plate, in such manner that the shank of the single ball can be carried over and passed down between the shank of the two balls so as to engage the balls, and thus fasten the shoe or other article. This construction is not applicable to a pocketbook or bag comprising twojointed or hinged bows swinging in the arc of a circle, in that, if applied to such construction, the shank of the one ball could not be carried over and passed down between the two opposite balls.

To avoid the above-mentioned objections and provide novel devices for fastening together the two hinged bowed frames of a pocket-book or bag in such manner that lateral strain is never brought to bear upon the hinges or pivots of the bowed frames are the objects of my invention, which I accomplish in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to thedrawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank having two blades or spheres and made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of a bag with the two-ball blank properly shaped andsecured to one of the bowed frames, the single ball on the other frame being shown by dotted lines; Fig. 3, a top plan view of portions of the bowed frames shown in Fig. 2, the arms of the two-balledplate being in section, and the plate of the single ball being also in section, all the balls or spheres .being shown by dotted lines; Fig. 4, a sectional view taken on the linear x of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a view similar to Fig. '4, but showing a part of oneside of the two-bailed plate cut away 0n.tl1e straight dotted line shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modification of the invention; Fig. 6, a top plan view of Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a sectional view taken on the line xa," of Fig. 6; Fig. 8, a view similar to Fig. 5, showing another modification; Fig. 9, a top plan View of Fig. 8; Fig. 10, a sectional view taken on the line y 11/ of Fig. 8; Fig. 11, a top plan view of portions of the bag-frames, showing the ball carrying Shanks cut away on the line 3 y of Fig. 12; and Fig. 12, a sectional view on the line as x" of Fig. 11.

In order to enable those skilled in theart to make and use my invention, I will now ,describe the same in detail, referring first to Fig.

1, where the numeral 1 indicates the blank of the two-bailed carrying-plate, composed of flat spring metal, and provided in the center of each end with ashank or arm, 2, which shanks or arms are uniformly curved toward one edge ofthe plate, and extend from the ends of the latter in opposite direct-ions, with each of their" outerextremitiesprovidedwithaballorsphere, 3. The elastic curved shanks or arms 2 are turned upward and brought toward each other, as in Fig. 2, to leave a space between the two balls somewhat less than the diameter of the single ball 4.

The central parts of the bowed bag-frames 5 are recessed, as at 6, Fig. 3, to a degree equal to the thickness of the metal plate 1, and the said ball-carrying plate is folded or closed around the recessed part 6, as in Fig. 4, where it may be still more firmly held by means of IOO only encircle the outer surface of the central part of such bows, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby permitting the bows to close together in parallel contact without the necessity of recessing the bows, as before explained.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 the two-ball carryingplate 1 is attached by riveting it, as at 7, to theuppersurface of one of the metallic or other bowed frames 5 of the bag. In Figs. 8, 9, and 10 the two-bailed carrying-plate is formed by flattening a piece of wire, leaving the elastic shanks or arms circular in cross-section, and extending from the opposite ends, respectively, of such flattened part, which latter is riveted, as at 8, to the side of one of the bowed frames. In Figs. 11 and 12 the two ball carrying-plate l is formed with a flange or lug, 9, at right angles to said plate, as in Fig. 12, so that said flange or lug may be riveted to the side of one of the bowed frames 5, as at 5. In the various constructions shown the shank 10 of the single ball 4 is connected with one of the bowed bag framcs in the same manner as the two-bailed carryingpla-te, except that the shank of the single ball will project from the center of its attaching-plate-ior instance, as in Figs. 9 and 11; but the shank of the single ball may be secured to its appropriate bowed frame in any suitable manner.

It will be observed that in each instance the two-ball carrying-plate is rectilinear, or approximately so, in form, and that its ends are each formed integral with a ball carrying shank, so that the two shanks extend from the ends of the plate in opposite directions, and extend laterally in curved lines, Fig. 1, with reference to the plate and bagframe, inorder to place the two balls carried thereby in the proper position to receive between them the single ball on the opposite bow of the bag, when the two shanks 2 are bent upward, as shown.

The bowed frames can be opened and closed without any lateral strain on the hinges or pivots of the bows, for the reason that as the latter swing in the arc of a circle the balls are correspondingly moved, so that the one ball passes directly between the two balls, pressing the latter away from each other with equal pressure until the single ball has passed, when the elastic shanks of the two balls restore them to their normal position, with a space separating them which is less than the diameter of the single ball.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A fastening for the hinged bows of a bag, satchel, or similar article, consisting of a plate having a single shank carrying a ball and a plate having each end formed into an elastic shank, 2, carrying a ball, said elastic shanks extending from the ends of the plate in opposite directions, substantially as described.

2. A fastening for the hinged bows of a bag, satchel, or similar article, consisting of a plate having a single shank carrying a ball and a plate having each end formed into a laterally curved, elastic shank, 2, carrying a ball, said elastic shanks extending from the ends of the plate in opposite directions, and the curve of both being uniform and toward one longitudt nal edge of the plate, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the bows of a bag or similar article, of a metallic plate secured to one how and formed at each end into an elastic shank carrying a ball, and bent upwardly and laterally with reference to the bows, with the two balls separated from each other, and a shank secured to the other bow, and having a single ball to pass between the two balls, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the bows of a bag or other similar article, of a metallic plate clasped around the edge of one bow, and having at each end an elastic shank carrying a ball, said shanks extending from the ends of the clasped plate and bent upward and toward each other, with the two balls separated, and a shank on the other how having a ball to pass between the two balls, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the centrally-recessed bows of a bag or like frame, of a plate having a shank at each end carrying a ball, and a plate having a single shank carrying a ball, said plates clasped around within the recessed parts of the bows, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. MCGILL.

\Vitnesses:

Jos. L. Coonns, J. A. RUTHERFORD. 

